The Klamath Tribes are opposing a new federal water plan they say risks killing off endangered fish.
The Bureau of Reclamation’s proposal would send up to 38,000 additional acre-feet of water — roughly 12.4 billion gallons — to Klamath Project irrigators in southern Oregon and northern California.
The bureau's Annual Operations Plan, which covers April 1 to Sept. 30, initially allocated 277,000 acre-feet from Upper Klamath Lake.
An additional 53,000 acre-feet of water could come from deferred project supply, water banked when irrigators postpone use for later.
But the Klamath Tribes said in an email that the additional 38,000 acre-feet would not come from the designated excess water supply.
The Tribes said the allocation would lower lake levels.
As of April 7, Upper Klamath Lake had an elevation of 4,143 feet, according to the bureau. The Tribes say the proposed allocation would drop it to 4,139 feet.
Klamath Tribal Council Chairperson William Ray, Jr. said the fluctuation in water levels would harm the endemic fish populations.
“All the restoration of the aquatic species of plants that we rely on for our culture is adversely impacted,” he said. “Without that, the juvenile fish can’t hide and have a source of food to grow into adult size. That is the biggest obstacle that we have.”
C’waam and koptu, also known as the Lost River sucker and shortnose sucker, are only found in Upper Klamath Lake. Both are culturally significant to the Klamath Tribes.
Both species were listed as endangered in 1988, and their populations have continued to decline due to water pollution, algae blooms and decreased water levels.
“We have a viable population of less than 5,000 at Barkley Springs,” Ray said. "Every bit of water to support their viability is critically important to us.”
